Recession Yoga and the Community: Santosha in the City

We yogis and yoginis often go on and on about the Yoga "Community".  We use the word a lot:  Community.   I use the capital "C" in Community on purpose.  I think of Community as something larger than ourselves as individuals.  We are collectively in this together, though individual in nature.  So I liked Webster's definition of Community as "a unified body of individuals." Getting into the meaning of things, the word Yoga actually translates as "to join" or "to yoke".  Union.  Uniting the Community through Yoga. While true in our heart, in reality we often exclude a large portion of our geographic community from our Yoga Community on economic grounds.

I have a basic philosophy when it comes to Yoga Community:  Yoga should be financially accessible to everyone.  Unfortnately, that has not always been the case here in Beaufort.  I plan to change that. 

As a business owner and a devoted Yoga practioner, it is very difficult to unite Yoga and business.  They seem to be counter-intuitive.  A friend told me that she thought "The Business of Yoga" was oxymoronic.  As a business woman, my mind says, "Cut costs.  Get as much money for goods and services as you can."  The yogini says, "No one should have to pay!  Yoga should be FREE!"  So how do we yoke, or unite, Yoga and business?  I still have bills to pay.. rent, utilities, insurance, props, mats... the list goes on.   So what gives?

I read an article in Yoga Journal a couple of years ago about a studio owner in New York who started taking donations from students instead of charging rates.  His "pay-what-you-can-afford" classes were a big hit with young people scraping by in the big city.  This spoke to my heart.  This studio owner was acting in the true spirit of Yoga. Now I see this happening everywhere, and I am thrilled to bring it to my Community.  People are getting into the idea of giving, as seen in two of the most respected Yoga outlets on the web,  YogaDork and Elephant Journal.

The answer to the debacle is Community Yoga.  Recession Yoga.  Pay What You Can Yoga.  Call it what you want...  just help me get the word out to the people who need it.  While we offer a variety of classes that are based on a fee schedule, Dancing Dogs also offers four pay-what-you-can-afford classes every week, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday mornings (starting March 13th).  These classes are all levels, which means suitable for all fitness levels and bodies.  Even if you have never practiced yoga before, you can attend. 

I've heard some talk from people around town asking about the "free" yoga.  Community Yoga at Dancing Dogs is a donation based class.  This means that the practioner pays based on their ability to pay.  The suggested donation is between $7 and $10.  If the practioner has an extra $2 and wants to come to a yoga class... they pay $2.  If that $2 was meant to buy lunch.... they pay nothing.  My goal is for people to be able to afford to come to Yoga class, on a somewhat regular basis.  If you can afford to pay for Yoga classes, you should make a donation.  While we want to bring Yoga to those who need it and can not afford it, our teachers' time is valuable, and we should all take care to remember that.  The whole karma thing.

If the practitioner can not afford to pay, and feels funny about coming for free.... we can work out a trade agreement, where the person can help check people in, fold blankets, straighten up the studio.  I am open to any way that brings people to the practice of Yoga.

The Sanskrit word "Santosha" means contentment.  I am content to do my part to bring Yoga to a new segment of people in Beaufort.  Santosha in the City.   I think it's good for the Community.

 
Special Thanks to Riann Mihiylov Photography for the beautiful photos.